Democrat President Joe Biden announced a new $1.2 billion package of security and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in its ongoing effort to fight off Russia’s invasion.
Biden announced the new round of support after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“This morning, I spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss Russia’s brutal and ongoing war against Ukraine. I reaffirmed my commitment that the United States will stand by Ukraine as it defends its democracy and support its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression,” Biden said in a statement from the White House.
“I informed President Zelenskyy that the United States is providing another $1 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, including additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations in the Donbas,” he added.
In addition to security assistance, the package includes $225 million in humanitarian help to those inside Ukraine.
“Today, I am also announcing an additional $225 million in humanitarian assistance to help people inside Ukraine, including by supplying safe drinking water, critical medical supplies and health care, food, shelter, and cash for families to purchase essential items,” Biden noted.
The announcement comes after leaders from nearly 50 nations, mostly NATO and European Union representatives, met at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday regarding efforts to support Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin led the event, calling it “an important opportunity to gather our growing group of partners from around the world to ensure that we’re providing Ukraine what Ukraine needs right now.”
The new package also comes after Congress passed a $40 billion Ukraine aid package in May that saw 11 Republican senators oppose, noting the need to focus on issues at home.
“Spending $40 billion on Ukraine aid – more than three times what all of Europe has spent combined – is not in America’s interests. It neglects priorities at home (the border), allows Europe to freeload, short changes critical interests abroad and comes w/ no meaningful oversight,” Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted at the time. “That’s not isolationism. That’s nationalism. It’s about prioritizing American security and American interests.”
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty also slammed Biden during an interview over the previous package.
“The best thing Biden administration could do is stop the war that he’s waged on American industry. That would lower prices overall. That would take the funding away from Putin’s war machine against Ukraine and make our economy better here. Biden will not do that, and he’s taken us in a bad direction,” he said.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul took to Twitter to express his concerns regarding support for Ukraine.
My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill – one that I doubt anyone has actually read – and there’s no oversight included into how the money is being spent.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 13, 2022
“My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill – one that I doubt anyone has actually read – and there’s no oversight included into how the money is being spent,” Paul wrote.